You should see my Facebook feed. Every artist I know (which is a lot of them) are taking arms with paintbrushes, poetry, song, and even knitting needles. My friend Kaitlin tagged me in a challenge alongside this quote from Toni Morrison...

One of my favorite parts of my job as a musician is writing songs for people. No, not for the greater public to enjoy via Spotify or at a house concert of mine, although I love that too. My favorite part about being a songwriter is...

I've pulled the trigger on some rather large lifestyle changes. Without divulging too many details (ones not yet ready to be revealed) I can say that Marie Kondo and minimalism have been heavy on my mind.

This hipster shot of a previously enjoyed mocha of mine exists to tell you that the other day I broke my caffeination fast with a soy latte. I cut caffeine out about 4 weeks ago because I started noticing my essential tremor in MY OTHER HAND. 😳 It's not very noticeable. But *I* notice. I notice very much. The degenerative nature of my neurology is breathing down my neck. and officially down both shoulders.

Every day for 14 days, the Western Washington University's performing arts building is soaked in Brahms, Bach, Tchaikovsky, and more. There are more kids than practice rooms. and the music and rehearsal schedule is so rigorous that every nook and cranny of the building is utilized to its full capacity... Including this loading dock I stumbled upon while on a coffee break, which @lecalethica has boldly claimed for her practice space. Just imagine harp wafting through the sky and down onto the Puget Sound... 😍

I mean, yes, there are always great reasons to not do anything, but when it comes to making the birth of this weekly show as big a deal as possible, I'll gladly crank it hard to the right and yell, "Why The HELL Not?!" Part of this leads me to something which I'm floored to announce...

This is a hard blog post to write. I've been feeling really rough lately.

At first, I thought it was my incessant "artist struggle" to get bills paid and pour myself out for all to see. I thought maybe it's that gosh-darned low grade depression which follows me around from time to time... (It very well might be.)

But as the gloom presses down upon me further and further, my detective-brain hunts furiously to get to the bottom of it. Perhaps it's just the continued life changes I've endured over the last 5 years? Perhaps too much proverbial shit has hit the fan for me? Perhaps I'm just too worn down to smile like I used to?

Yesterday I took advantage of the perfect lighting and acoustics in a stairwell by *almost* spontaneously giving a little concert via the killer website, Concert Window! These shows are always so crazy. It blows my mind that I can press a couple buttons and send myself to the moon and back down for ANYONE, ANYWHERE to see!

Alternative Blog Post Title: "I Don't Have Time To Write Songs for a Kids Album! ...Or Do I?" I've got a lot going on these days - writing a book and getting ready to release a new album. As part of raising funds to release this album, I've set an album pre-order level for anyone to commission an original or cover song.

Yes, the album is sounding gorgeous. I'm button-bustin' proud of it all. I'm also proud to say that I co-produced it with the talent of a stellar group of musicians. I'd like to introduce you to the other folks who helped makethis album real.

I've moved SIXTEEN times since 2004. *headdesk* So many boxes. So many trips. So many apartments. So many houses. So many cities. So many boxes of pizza. So many hours filled with the ear-piercing sound of tape getting yanked off its roll.

In the lulls between songwriting, album-making, and concert performing, I've been slowly working on writing a book. Let me tell you, it's been a SLOW, slow, slow slog. This morning I woke up *really* discouraged.

(Full Disclaimer: I Was Homeschooled.) The SOTA students make me excited for the future of our world. Which is why I'm stoked to announce... I get to be a "Celebrity" Guest Judge for SOTA's Cover Song Project!

Sometimes as frequently as every 6 months. College life, new roommates, living abroad, moving to a new corner of the US, new roommates, new neighborhoods, new jobs... I got really good at picking up everything and moving around based on who I wanted to be near.

Emmet Cahill is coming to Seattle on February 12th! all the way from Ireland! I'll get to open up the evening with a few of my own songs before his vocal chords blow your socks completely off with Emmet's Irish classics, Broadway hits, and modern pieces too.